Karen Finds Hope
by Karin Starsen
Summary: Karen lives in a small town with not many people, she plans on going to the city and still does. She isn't very happy, but then came Tyson. Now going to the city is her main motive, but what will she find when she gets there? Tyson. The persistant anoying
1. Tyson

R&R

Karen sat on the dock. Why was her father such a dork? He never understood her…

"When you were a child" he said.

"yeah… when I was a child…" Karen mumbled to herself. "Well guess what father! I'm no child. Not anymore…"

"Excuse me?"

Karen jumped up and spun around. It was the new guy who moved in next door. She had watched him come in, but didn't really pay any interest to him. Her mother was all excited. It was just like her…

"Sorry to startle you. Um, my name is Tyson," he said with a smile.

"Great." Said Karen, turning around again.

"I… uh… just moved in here… do you live here?" he asked ackwardly.

"Not here specifically, but at the vineyard, yes."

"Oh really then! We're neighbors. What's your name?"

_Persistent, aren't we?_ Karen thought. "Karen. It's Karen."

"That's a nice name."

This startled her. No one had ever said that her name was 'nice' before. Nobody hated it either. This was indeed an interesting boy. She stood up and turned around. She wanted to get to know him better.

"I work at the local bar. You should come down some time. Right now though, I'm heading to Ann's house. Bye."

She started to walk off, but her called after her. "Wait!" he cried catching up to her. "I'm heading there too! They seem to have a horse that they want to give away. I was going to look into it…"

"Fine." She said. "Follow me."

(New chapters shall come with reviews)


	2. small feud with Kai

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing from harvest moon 64 or any other of your wonderful games that you have created.**_

_**(Thanks for the reviews!)**_

_Well, when I said follow me I didn't mean NEXT to me… _thought Karen. She was now thoroughly annoyed.

"Actually, you know what? I've got to… urm… head home," she said.

He looked disappointed, which soothed Karen a little bit.

"I'll swing by the bar tonight, then."

Frustration back. "Great," she said before turning and heading 'home'. She was really heading towards the mountain. _Oh please, don't follow me! _She looked back to see him heading towards the farm. _Have fun Ann… _Karen thought with a smug look on her face.

The Bar that night

"Here you go, sir," Karen said, almost cheerily, as she gave a beer to the mailman. He tipped her and she walked away. _Not too shabby, _thought Karen while fingering the tip in her pocket. She looked up and saw Tyson. _Oh shi…_

"Hi Karen!" he said, interrupting her thoughts.

Karen gave a small, almost shy wave. Kai saw her from his seat in the back and almost spit out his drink with laughter. _Good thing you didn't, _she thought, _because it wouldn't be me cleaning that mess up! Oh no, here he comes…_

"I'll have a glass of wine, please," Tyson said.

"Sure, have a seat over there," she said, pointing towards Kai. Kai shook his head, but she nodded hers and gave him a menacing smile. _Take that, you loser!_

Karen brought over the drinks, then sat down at the table. She had made sure that nobody needed anything first, she was a bit sad that nobody had needed anything at the moment.

"So… Kai tells me that he works for your father."

"Yup," Karen said. _Just be short, sweet and to the point!_

"Yeah, I told him he could stop by anytime, you know… to say hi or something," Kai said.

Karen flinched.

"If it's all right with you of course."

"Of course!" Karen said. _No it's not, no it's not, not it's not!_

"Sure, maybe I'll swing by tomorrow. But now I have to go. Good-bye Kai, good-night Karen!"

As he left the room, Karen let her head collapse on the table and Kai's silent chuckles turned into laughter. _This is just great…_ thought Karen.

(Here yah go! RR I know you like your chapters longer, but I don't have much time and I thought this might be a nice place to stop.)


	3. a visitor!

_(Thank you ever so much for all of the reviews. I do enjoy reading them. Okay, that sounded weird… well, here is the next chapter for you. It may not be as long as you would like it to be, but here it is anyway.)_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from any of the Harvest Moon games. Especially Harvest Moon 64.**

_The next morning, around 9 O'clock. _

Karen sat up in her bedroom.

"Karen! Time for work!" her mother's voice called from the room downstairs. Her mother always called her in the morning. Kai and Her father were already working. Her mother had a gentle voice, and a kind manner. She couldn't understand how her mother stayed here with her father. But she did.

She quickly got dressed and stumbled down the stairs. Her father didn't like her being late.

Outside she worked around the shed. She figured it was the farthest she could get from her father without getting yelled at for slacking. Kai worked inside the shed and her father worked right outside the door to the house. _Probably making sure that nobody can escape his evil gaze, _she thought. She suppressed a laugh at her own joke, then choked as she looked at the path to her house. Up the path came the one person that she didn't want to see, Tyson.

Kai saw him to and suppressed a laugh also, but Karen became angry and gestured quite rudely at him. Tyson didn't see it, but waved at Karen. Her father clearly saw him, but he didn't care. As long as she kept working. _This is completely embarrassing… _thought Karen.

"Hey Karen!" Tyson said as he got close enough. "I finished my chores, so I thought that I would come and visit!"

_Oh please! _Thought Karen. She put on a fake smile and said, "well that's great, but I'm working now. But maybe if you come back later…"

Unfortunately, her father had heard her. And even more unfortunately, he was in a good mood. "Now Karen! Don't be rude to visitors! You can have a two hour break, it's slow today anyway. Kai and I can handle things, just be at the bar tonight!"

"Cool!" Tyson said with a smile. "Why don't you shoe me around the mountain? I haven't been up there yet."

"Sure," said Karen dully. _I can't believe that this is happening to me… _she thought.

_(Sorry that I am ending now, but I don't have time and I figured that I should just end now. So, here is the next and slightly short chapter.)_


	4. A place with no stars

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. I don't even own Tyson! So here, take it and don't sue me. Please, but if you have a chance REVIEW ME! Thank you!**

Tyson walked gleefully next to Karen as they entered into the mountain. Karen first started following him instead of him following her.

"What's up there?" he asked, pointing to the path above the pond. (Not: there is no hot spring or bridge yet.)

"Nothing."

"What about over there?" he asked, pointing towards the path next to the river.

"Well, there's the wood cutters place. But he's closed today. And beyond that there is a small clearing with a pond. And we could go up higher…"

"Let's do that!" he said.

They set off towards the tree by the cave. It didn't take that long to get there, the mountain didn't have much to offer. Karen stopped at the tree, then started climbing.

"What are you doing?" he asked dumbly.

"Getting up higher! There isn't even a bridge up here over the gorge. Come on!"

He hesitated before following her up the tree. She was already at the ledge up top. By the time he got there he she was over standing by another cliff. He joined her and looked down at the long drop. He whistled.

"Wow, that's a long drop!"

"Yeah," she said. She pointed towards the opposite side. "Over there, that's where the path by the pond leads. The builder is thinking about building a bridge from both sides."

"Can we go up any higher?"

"Sure," Karen said dully.

They climbed the path higher, passing the old people's house who Karen didn't really know, and Tyson wanted a full explanation of it. So she told him what she knew, then continued. At the top of the mountain she showed him the view of the town.

"Wow, that's really awesome."

"If you say so…"

"It is! I came from the city, no stars, no view… just tons of people and buildings. I love it here!"

_You don't know how much I want to go to the city, _she thought. But she smiled. _But I would miss the stars… the view I could live without…_

"See?" he said, seeing her smile. "It's nice here."

"Yeah, well whatever," she said. "But I've got to go back now. It's getting late and I have to get to the bar to work…"

"I'll come too!" he said with a smile. So they headed out together towards the bar. Karen's face was expressionless.

_Clingy little guy, isn't he?_

Yeah, well there's the chapter. Sorry I haven't updated. And as always, R&R!


	5. drunken advice

(Sorry I haven't updated in ages… haha, hope I still have reviewers. I just noticed that I have A LOT of spelling mistakes in my earlier chapters. Please ignore them.)

When they entered the bar, Karen two people in the bar that she wanted to see the least at that moment. Kai, and her father. Kai looked up, but then looked away. Her father was a different story.

"Karen!" Her father said, quite loudly mind you. He was slightly drunk. "You're late…hic… who's your boyfriend.

"He's not my/her boyfriend!" both Kai and Karen said, Kai suddenly looking up. Karen turned around and stared at him.

"Well… I just assumed that… you wouldn't…" he stuttered.

"What, is he not good enough for me?" she asked hotly. _Why the heck am I defending him? Why do I feel like he needs to be defended? _She turned to glance quickly at Tyson. He looked slightly put down, and he wasn't talking. He was awfully quiet… and shy… Maybe he did need defending. _Stop that!_ She thought.

"Well hic daughter…. Work tomorrow! Lot's and lots…. And…" he went off into a random mumble about grapes, and how harvesting was important and whatnot. The bartender looked around the room, seeing only Kai and her father, then turned to Karen.

"You can go if you want to Karen. Looks like I've got everything covered here."

She sighed, relieved to leave. "Thanks. Come on Tyson, let's go."

Tyson looked surprised. "What? Y-you want me to go with you? I mean, you don't mind?"

_Oh crud, _she thought, realizing her mistake. "Uh…uh, yeah… I'll urm… walk you home!"

"I'll join you!" Kai added quickly, pulling out his wallet to leave money on the table for his drink.

Okay, Tyson said. His mood seemed to lighten and his shoulders straightened a bit. "Well, let's get going."

The trio left the bar to Karen's father's maniacal laughter. Right before the door shut, Karen heard her father say, "Them two's gunna fight if she don't choose one soon, barkeep… BARKEEP? Where's me alcohol…."

_The smartest thing he's ever said… and he's drunk…_


	6. tickets Errr, I mean ticket!

The walk home started out quietly. Karen didn't think that Kai and Tyson had heard her father, but maybe she had been wrong. She rubbed her arm in slight frustration and confusion. Who would she choose? She walked slowly, Tyson on one side and Kai on the other.

_How can I just choose one? Why do I have to? They'll fight over me, I know… but I hardly know Tyson! And I had never thought of Kai that way… How can I choose. _Something in her thoughts snapped into place, her old Karen-ish attitude came back. _Wait, why DO I have to choose someone! Not like I have to just get up and marry one of them! My father made me think this…_

She grew angry, and stormed ahead of the boys as Tyson was about to say something. _Tomorrow, I'm going to buy plane tickets and get out of this boring town! There are thousands of boys out there, I don't have to choose between these two! _

"Karen!" Kai and Tyson shouted, but she had already slammed her door and walked up to her room.

Kai and Tyson looked at each awkwardly outside of Karen's door. Tyson shifted from foot to foot, glancing from the door to Kai.

"Why don't you knock…" Tyson said. "you've known her longer, I'm sure-"

"No, no, I'm sure that she like's you better. I'll back off and you can take her…" Kai said sadly.

"No, really, I don't deserve to-"

"But really! It's okay."

_What? Now they don't want me enough to fight for me? Am I just a tool, or a pawn in a game or something? I'm not special enough to have a say in it? I'm so angry! _Karen stormed to her dresser and took out the little clothes that she had. She packed a backpack with her money, her clothes, necessities and finally a picture of her mother and father on their wedding day. She took her cell phone and dialed for the operator.

"Hello? Yes, operator?... I was looking for the number for the travel agency. That would be great. Thank you."

The phone rang in her ear, and her eyes were getting wet, even though she told them frequently in her mind not to.

"Yes, is this the travel agency? I would like 1 ticket for Blossom city. No, one way. Yes, single. 37$? Alright… they credit card number is…"

_Sorry that this is a really short chapter, But I don't have any more class time to type, so this is all you get today! Buh bye now!_


	7. Taxi!

_**A.N. **_

So sorry that I haven't written in a while. Thanks for the new review though! I hope you all read this, and the more reviews I get on a chapter, the more time I devote to the next chapter. (more reviews, faster updates.) I love you all! This story is about to get extremely twisted! So get reading!

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Karen sat silently on the dock, the part furthest from the sandy beach. Her toes dipped in the water and she swirled them around gently. Next to her, there sat a leather satchel with a pair of sandals leaning against it. A ticket lay underneath her finger, the ends flapping gently in the wind. She breathed in deeply. _Is this what I want? This horrible feeling of doubt, and of sadness? _But she had already convinced herself before that it would go away once she was in the city. Along with her memories of this place.

The sun shined down serenely onto the beach. Waves lapped the shore, sand slowly ebbing away. Karen suddenly heard sand sifting down behind her. Her head flew around, and standing there was Tyson. _How does he ALWAYS find me! _She practically screamed in her head. He walked casually over to the dock and sat on the corner right next to her. Karen could see her boat coming off in the distance.

"Hey," he said quietly.

Karen was silent.

"Is it true?... Are you really going to leave us?"

She was quiet. Then she said "you say 'us' like you're all worth missing or something…"

Tyson looked more hurt than shocked. "Won't… you miss me?"

"Truthfully," she said standing up as the boat docked. She grabbed her bag and stepped on. "the moments we've shared are hardly enough to miss."

Tyson looked up from where he was sitting, the boat started to take off.

"All I ask!" he yelled as the boat pulled farther and farther away, "is for you to remember me, Karen!"

He sat there for half the day, long after the boat disappeared on the distant horizon.

3

It was raining when she made it into the city. The boat dropped her off, then left quickly to try and outrun the worst of the storm. She stood on the dock, looking at the tall, shimmering buildings in aw. There were so many of them! And so many people! It was around 7:30, and it was dark. Lights were on in almost every window. The street lights cast brightly on the streets and cars, making them shimmer with rain water.

Karen walked sheepishly through the streets. The paper in her hand was uselessly soaked with rain water. Now she had to find the Café Chocolate all by herself. She stopped at a corner and looked around helplessly. People were running along with umbrella's and newspapers over their heads. Karen didn't even have a hat, she let the rain soak her hair. Where was she supposed to go? Taxis rushed by and she decided that that might be the best route to take. She walked to the edge of the street, instantly getting soaked by a car rushing through a puddle. Now her bag was soaked as well. She swore that she heard someone laughing behind her, but she didn't turn around. She was too embarrassed, she had no clue how to handle the city!

_What am I thinking! I can take this! _She jut out her chin in determination and raised her hand, yelling Taxi a little louder than she wanted to. A taxi stopped instantly and she ran to the side door. She opened the door.

"Get in! It's a downpour out there!" the taxi driver yelled. Karen flung herself into the yellow cab. "Where you headed?

"Uhm… the Café Chocolate…" Karen said, whipping her drenched hair out of her eyes.

"Café Chocolate?" the driver laughed. "You'd be lucky if they let you in there, soaked like you are!"

"Oh, I have a feeling that they will. After I speak to the owner."

"That's a ritzy place… Doubt they would let a country girl like you into there anyway."

Karen shrunk a little. "Is it really that obvious?"

"The way you dress, yeah. Knew it when I first saw you out in the rain without a newspaper! But whatever you want… just hope that the manager will talk to you."

"Why wouldn't she?"

"Why would she is the right question!" the taxi driver said, taking another turn.

"Is she really that rich? And snobby?"

"Yup."

"Well that certainly sounds like her…" Karen mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"It's nothing. How much longer?"

"We're there!"

Karen thanked the cab driver, and grabbed her satchel. She looked out at the rain with disgust. She better get in the Café Chocolate tonight. Karen grabbed her wallet.

"Eh, no charge. Looks like you'll need all the money you can get!" The driver laughed again, and then was off right as Karen slammed the door shut. She turned around and faced the café. She took a deep breath, then stepped through the doors.

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**A.N. **

_**So I said that the story was going to get really twisted soon, and it's true. So get ready!**_


	8. Sofia Steel

A.N.

So I think that after this chapter I'll either lose a lot of reviewers, or gain a lot. Because it's going to be different…. And a lot of people don't like that, but whatever.

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"No."

"Please," Karen said, on the verge of begging. "just let me talk to the owner…"

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the buff man guarding the door. All his name tag said was 'Fang'. Karen didn't ask, but she wasn't intimidated either.

"Look, I know the owner. If she says she doesn't know anyone by the name of Karen, she's lying."

"And why would I believe your word over hers, country girl?"

She cringed again at the words. "Because I don't even care about getting into the café! I just want to talk to Sofia!"

"That's Miss Steel to yo- wait! How did you know her first name!" the bouncer started getting suspicious.

"I already told you! I know her! Please, just let me talk to her."

Fang had a frown set on his face, but he looked the soaking wet girl standing in the rain, begging to talk to the manager of the most famous café in the city. His expression softened.

"I may get fired for this… but her door us up those stairs, second on the right," He pointed to a carpeted staircase to his left and he stepped out of the way. "Now hurry before anyone else tries to stop you."

"Thank you!" Karen said smiling, making a note that she owed the bouncer named 'fang' a favor. She rushed up the stairs as Fang just shook his head.

Karen rushed to up the stairs, then went to the second door on the right. There was a name plate that that said 'Sofia Steel: Owner'. _This is it, _Karen thought._ How long has it been? At least… a couple years… I don't even remember how old I was then… My father would kill me if he knew I was _here _of all places! But I'm not supposed to think about him._

Her hand shakily touched the door handle… then she decided to knock first. She gently rapped on the door. She heard a frustrated sigh on the other side.

"Come in Fang, what is it now? Are those hoodlums back?" Sofia asked from the opposite side of the door.

Karen opened the door carefully and slipped in. She shut it behind her, leaning on it for support and she looked at her feet. When she finally looked up, there was Sofia. Jaw dropped in astonishment. When she saw Karen's eyes on her she abruptly shut her mouth, and eventually smiled slightly.

"K…Karen. It's been far, far too long."

"How long exactly?" Karen asked.

"3 years, give or take. So how's your father."

The invisible blow hit her harder than Sofia expected, and her face showed she was sorry.

"Uhm… well, he's okay. He's still working on the, uhm, vineyard," she stammered out.

"He still an angry old fool."

Karen flashed a devilish smile, this was the same Sofia she had always known. And she was still the same Karen. "If he wasn't, why would I be standing in the city, let alone this room."

"I don't know, maybe he would have changed his view on life. Maybe… but he's stubborn, just like you I see. So I'm guessing you need a job. Well, we need a new waitress. The job is yours."

This time it was Karen's jaw that dropped. "No interview, so quickly… no nothing?"

"Nope. I know you Karen," she winked. "More than most people do. I'm just so glad you finally decided to come."

**Authors Note.**

_Okay, so I have a survey. Should Sofia be Karen's slightly older sister, or should she be a girl that used to be Karen's best friend… who wanted to be more, and Karen's father yelled at her to leave their family alone before Karen could decide anything. And no, I haven't forgotten about Tyson and Kai. They're just out of the story for a while. So what do you think? Who should Sofia be? I need ideas! And I'm taking whatever I got when I write the next chapter! So hurry!_


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